Episode identification

• US 6,601,074 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liebenow, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Application Number:
  US09/471,843
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 704/219, 705/26, 386/83, 345/327, 725/39, 725/44, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method, system, signal and software which maintains an electronic program guide (EPG) that includes episode identifiers associated with program information. The method includes keeping a database of selected information and using the information in the database to specify programs or actions associated with specified programs. These programs may include, but are not limited to, recording a program that has not been previously recorded, or re-recording a program of lesser recording quality or reproduction quality if a better quality recording can be made.

Claims

1. A program of instructions storable on a medium readable by an information handling system for causing the information handling system to execute steps, the steps comprising:

maintaining episode identification information associated with program information; and

identifying, using the episode identification information, a particular episode and its program information;

deciding whether to record a particular episode;

recording the episode if it has been decided that the episode should be recorded;

adding at least the episode identification information of the recorded episode to a database identifying recorded episodes;

said step of adding further comprises adding information regarding at least one of recording quality and reproduction quality of the recorded episode;

said step of deciding comprises querying the database identifying recorded episodes and, if the episode identification information is in the database, determining whether it is possible to record a better copy of the episode; and

said step of recording is performed if the episode identification information is in the database and it is possible to record a better copy of the episode.

2. The program of instructions of claim 1, wherein:

said step of deciding comprises querying the database identifying recorded episodes; and

said step of recording is inhibited if the episode identification information is in the database identifying recorded episodes.

3. A signal embodied in a propagation medium, for use in a system using program information, comprising:

at least one instruction capable of maintaining episode identification information associated with the program information;

at least one instruction capable of identifying, using the episode identification information, a particular episode and its program information;

at least one instruction capable of determining whether to record a particular episode;

at least one instruction capable of recording the episode if it has been determined that the episode should be recorded;

at least one instruction capable of adding at least the episode identification information of the recorded episode to a database identifying recorded episodes;

said at least one instruction capable of adding further comprises adding information regarding at least one of recording quality and reproduction quality of the recorded episode;

said at least one instruction capable of determining comprises querying the database identifying recorded episodes and, if the episode identification information is in the database, determining whether it is possible to record a better copy of the episode; and

said at least one instruction capable of recording initiates recording the episode if the episode identification information is in the database identifying recorded episodes and it is possible to record a better copy of the episode.

4. The signal of claim 3 wherein:

said at least one instruction capable of determining comprises querying the database identifying recorded episodes; and

said at least one instruction capable of recording, prevents recording the episode if the episode identification information is in the database identifying recorded episodes.

5. An information handling system employing program information, said information handling system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory operably associated with said processor; and

a program of instruction executable by said processor and capable of being stored in said memory, said program of instruction including

instructions capable of maintaining episode identification information associated with said program information, and identifying, using the episode identification information, a particular episode and its program information;

instructions capable of determining whether to record a particular episode;

instructions capable of recording the episode if it has been determined that the episode should be recorded;

instructions capable of adding at least the episode identification information of the recorded episode to a database identifying recorded episodes;

said instructions capable of adding, add information regarding at least one of recording quality and reproduction quality of the recorded episode;

said instructions capable of determining queries the database identifying recorded episodes, and if the episode identification information is in the database, determines whether it is possible to record a better copy of the episode; and

said instructions capable of recording, record the episode if the episode identification information is in the database and it is possible to record a better copy of the episode.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

said instructions capable of determining queries the database identifying recorded episodes; and

said instruction capable of recording prevents recording if the episode identification information is in the database identifying recorded episodes.